| Spain. Breitling MedCup: 20 TP52’s line up to do battle at prestigious Copa del Rey tomorrow |
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| Sunday, 30 July 2006 | |
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Dury Alonso: On the inaugural Breitling MedCup TP52 circuit last year Palma’s Copa del Rey proved one of the closest fought and most exciting events. The drama promises to be even greater over the coming week when twenty TP52’s line up to do battle. The season long championship is predicted to go to the wire but on the eve of the Copa del Rey at the half way point of the six regatta circuit, Peter de Ridder’s Mutua Madrilena Mean Machine gained a five points edge by winning the last event, the Breitling Regatta off Puerto Portals. But for Mutua Madrilena as one of the boats with longer lead in time to prepare for the season, that advantage diminishes as more and more crews learn their boats and the best settings and what makes them quickest. The number of boats with the potential to win races increases with each regatta. And as the stakes increase, so more and more top talent is imported in search of improved performance. “The Copa del Rey is another event for us.” Says Mutua Madrilena Mean Machine owner and skipper Peter de Ridder, “We are on the start line starting from zero. The only thing that we should be thinking about is the experience that we have gleaned from previous events and the results that we have had to date.” ” We should be confident in ourselves, but we must also remember that the line between arrogance and confidence is very fine and we need to ensure that we stay on the right side.” “We are not going out onto the water under any greater pressure than we are under in other events. We are very happy to be here competing against other the other teams.” Mutua Madrilena have Vasco Vascotto, overall Breitling MedCup TP52 circuit winning skipper last year and helm of Mascalzone Latino, the Italian America’s Cup entry, back bolstering their afterguard alongside tactician Ray Davies. Steve and Fred Howe’s Warpath crew put behind them the mistake which caused their downfall in Portals, damaging their bow in an incident with Platoon, but here they must deal with the issue of steadily closing down that five points deficit they are in to Mutua Madrilena and winning their second regatta of the season. “We are going to treat this as just another event with no special focus. The plan is go out there and remain consistent and avoid the bad races like in the last event. The problem is that if we watch Mutua Madrilena over any other boat then you could potentially end up with bad results yourselves. We are interested in what they are doing. They had a good event last regatta and have sailed a good series. We are trying to sail into a better position but we are going to have to sail well to beat them. We certainly won’t go out of our way to play with them and I am sure that they are not going to do it themselves.” Commented Dean Barker. Last year’s winner of the class at Copa del Rey, three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, is honouring a previous commitment to sail with a Swedish owner. That he finds himself racing the boat he won with last year, Bigamist, the former Lexus Quantum Racing now Bigamist, up against his usual crew on Lexus Atalanti is down to the fact that the craft they planned to race did not fit a handicap class here. An opportunity to sail in the class was not to be missed. “I have no great expectations here.” Says Coutts, “But the main thing for us will be to have a bit of fun. He might be interested in coming into the class in the future. We are doing the Swan Cup together.” Winning once in Puerto Portals and finishing third overall Lexus Atalanti, Coutts’ regular team have started to make their mark, albeit later than planned. Paul Cayard returns to drive Lexus with Gavin Brady and Jordi Calafat calling tactics. Ian Walker’s decision to steer Siemens himself has certainly been vindicated, winning in Castellon, but finding a regular top level tactician who can commit has not been easy. A call to 1996 Star Olympic gold medallist Vince Brun, with whom he and Siemens trimmer Simon Fry won the Melges 24 worlds, sees Brun making his debut in the TP52 fleet. “I’m the beginner here. But we have a very good crew and Ian has a good feel for the boat. He sold me the idea that upwind it is like racing in the Farr 40 fleet and downwind the Melges 24. What sailing we did yesterday felt a bit like we were on two wheels and I feel like I have a lot to learn. It is a very different game and these boats have a lot of idiosyncrasies.” Explained Brun. Brazil’s five times Olympic medallist Torben Grael joins the afterguard of Caixa Galicia who lie third overall in the Breitling MedCup season long standings, Dee Smith returns as tactician on the British boat Cristabella, which Tim Powell now drives in the open division. Racing starts Monday 31st with two windward-leeward races Monday, Tuesday, Friday. Wednesday’s 95 mile offshore race will be the first of the season and Saturday’s 25 mile inshore race is followed by one final windward-leeward race Sunday. www.medcup.org |
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